Integrating digital technologies into teaching: A study on pre-service language teachers’ perceptions and practice

Abstract Despite the globalization of education, which calls for the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning, less is known about the integration of digital technologies into classrooms by pre-service language teachers. This qualitative study investigates a group of pre-service language teachers’ perceptions of integrating digital technologies into teaching and how they practise it in classrooms. Through interviews with twenty-two pre-service language teachers, the study finds that they held predominantly positive perceptions about integrating digital technologies into teaching. The pre-service language teachers at higher grades took an active role in applying digital technologies in class and demonstrated creativity in addressing potential challenges. This may be attributed to their realisation of their dual roles as digital learners and digital teachers, formed through their continuous use of digital technologies for learning and teaching purposes. Furthermore, some of them have explored the integrated teaching in order to address challenges such as the tensions between the growing call for teachers to use digital technologies in classrooms and school policies. These findings have important implications for teacher education and school policy.